Victorino makes sure his day is special

PHILADELPHIA — Shane Victorino put quite a cap on his bobblehead day.

Victorino hit a game-ending homer in the ninth inning, and Ryan Howard’s three-run shot helped the Philadelphia Phillies beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-8, on Sunday.

With the score tied and one out, Victorino drove a 1-and-0 pitch from Kevin Correia (1-2) over the left-field fence for the first game-winning homer of his career.

Before the game, children 14 and under in the crowd of 39,293 received a hula figurine of Victorino.

“Pretty ironic, isn’t it?” said Victorino, who was born in Hawaii. “In the dugout, Wes Helms was saying it would be something if I won the game on the day my bobblehead was given out. It’s funny how it happened. I got a good pitch and drove it out.”

The Giants made it 8-8 in the top of the ninth on Kevin Frandsen’s run-scoring single against Antonio Alfonseca (3-1) after Fred Lewis and Ryan Klesko walked against Ryan Madson. Alfonseca avoided further damage by getting Bengie Molina to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Howard’s 10th homer, against left-hander Jack Taschner, highlighted a five-run seventh that gave the Phillies an 8-7 lead.

“I’m still trying to get comfortable,” Howard said. “I’m feeling better every day.”